Titans
“Welcome, stranger. Our hearth is yours this night. This has been my family’s home since the time of my great-great-great-grandfather, you know. He cut this foundation with his own hands. You see the engraving there, above the arch of the door? Well, that was made by my great-grandmother, who- what is that? Wolves? Have no fear traveller. While you are our guest, I swear by my great-great-great-grandfather’s work, nothing shall harm you.” - Telor Feldspar, Titan farmer Long before the Four Kingdoms, before the Locari built their kingdom, perhaps even before the ancient Nephilim ruled Estia from their golden cities in the south, there were the titans. Of great stature but humble bearing, titans are massive, giant-descended men and women who dwell mostly along the western coast of Estia, living either as simple farmers and craftsmen, or as caretakers for the cyclopean ruins of their ancestors, the Gigants of old. The modern titans tell a tale of the ancient early days of creation, when the Gigants drew entire cities whole from the living stone of Andrana, even as the mighty Elven kingdoms wove cities in the sky and beneath the sea with their magics. But when the ancient order and the Elves fell, so too did the Gigants. Their descendants, while but shadows of their ancestral glory, still have some echo of their old power. They are still tall and broad and powerful, and have a deep connection with the earth, seeming to be able to speak to the very stones beneath their wide feet. Despite their obvious power, they have nothing of the haughty and commanding bearing of their ancestors. Today, the titans are a peaceful and gentle people, practical and much concerned with the preservation and honoring of the works of the ancestors. Physical Description Titans are descended from mighty giants, and it shows in every line of their forms. An adult titan stands between six and seven feet tall and is very powerfully built, with massive shoulders, thick limbs, and wide, flat hands and feet. Their features are similarly constructed; their faces are broad and flat, with wide, thin-lipped mouths, large foreheads and broad noses. Their skin mimics the color of stone, and ranges from slate greys to sandstone browns to clay-like red, and is likewise smooth and stone-like; titans have little to no body hair, with males largely unable to grow beards. While female titans often grow their hair long and braid it elaborately, with multitudinous tiny braids being a very traditional style, men keep their hair cropped short in general. Both genders prefer simple, sturdy clothing, suitable for a farm or workman’s shop, and wear little in the way of ornaments or jewelry, saving their artistic impulses for stonework, architecture and engravings. Society Titan society is centered around the family, and in predominantly titan settlements the citizens follow a simple oligarchy led by respected elders. Titans are raised from childhood to respect their elders and those in positions of authority, and civil strife is virtually unheard of among their communities. In times of trouble, titans prefer level-headed discussion before direct action, a stance that has given them a reputation as slow to act and averse to violence. While this is generally true, this is not to say that titans are pacifistic: they simply dislike acting hastily. When threatened, a community of titans will convene a council of elders, where every adult in the community may speak and be heard. Once all who wish to speak have voiced their opinions, the elders of the community will closet themselves to select a course of action. Whatever they decide will be followed by all without debate, as to argue against an elder would be disrespectful of their position. As a race, titans are profoundly honorable and respectful of history. They see in the chain of tradition the strong bond that ties them together as a people, and as such uphold many ancient practices. One such practice is that of the “hearthguest”: longstanding tradition demands that a titan offer to share his hearth with any guest that asks for shelter, and to protect the traveller as well. This, perhaps, is the most significant aspect of titan culture. For as long as can be remembered, titans have been sworn to shield and give succor to any who require it of them. Once a titan has vowed to protect a person or place, they will do so to their last breath. None know the origin of this tradition, but it is at the center of their way of life. Yet few abuse this readily, for woe betide the scoundrel who dares to betray a member of this noble race when he has vowed to protect them. Those that turn against a titan sworn to their defense earn that titan’s eternal wrath; he will not rest, pursuing his foe until he has brought his fury to bear on them with the implacable power of an avalanche. Likewise, those rare titans that forswear or fail in such an oath once given and survive are viewed as greatly fallen by their fellows. Such titans, known as “Oathless”, are outcasts, unworthy of trust or responsibility, and these unfortunates often leave their homeland, seeking a new home away from the constant reminders of their failure. Relations Titans are respected throughout Estia, for their honor and loyalty as much as for their skill with stoneworking and masonry. Every large city in northern Estia boasts a handful of titan-made structures, most of them very old. So well made are titan structures that they are often maintained and repaired by the distant descendants of those who first built them, and it is a great point of pride for any community to have a titan-made building or bridge. Particularly in Westhaven, where ruins from the Gigants of old are found throughout the rocky hills and bluffs along the westernmost region, titans are a common and welcome sight, and humans greatly appreciate their sturdy dependability. Likewise, it is not uncommon for most of the great dwarven halls to have a titan quarter built to the much larger race’s generous proportions, for the dwarves and titans share a mutual appreciation of stone work, and have long enjoyed a profitable alliance. For the titans’ part, they admire the ingenuity and cunning of the gnomes, and are fascinated by the enigmatic Nephilim, seeing in them a vague echo of the ancient Age of Magic, when the Gigants still walked Andrana. Goblins are viewed with wary curiosity, as their sometimes flexible relationship with the truth is disconcerting to the honest and guileless titans. The Aelfirr on the other hand are reviled enemies, and every established titan community has records of ancestors slain or enslaved by the Firstborn. While they do not hold individual Aelfirr responsible for the crimes of their entire race, they still watch such individuals very closely, and make no secret of their distrust. Alignment and Religion Titans are a strongly lawful race, inclined to respect authority and follow the dictates of tradition where possible. Humble and kind, they are also strongly Good-aligned. Most titan households have a small family altar, often engraved with the names of the family ancestors, that their names live on for many generations to come, and give offerings there both to the spirits of the dead, as well as the gods. Many titans worship the Androsian Pantheon, offering thanks both to Mother Sky and Father Stone, and titan clerics are not uncommon. By the same token, some older titan communities in the western mountains of Estia continue worshipping Ladon, the Dragon of Earth, much as they have for many hundreds and hundreds of years. Adventures Titan adventurers are frequently on some manner of quest; either a personal quest - such as to seek out records of some distant ancestor, or to avenge some past transgression against their people or kin - or a broader, more general quest, such as to promote the worship of a specific god, or to defend their homeland against a particular evil. More rarely, titan adventurers are the outcasts known as “Oathless”, Titans who have failed to uphold an oath to defend someone or something. Whether they truly shirked their duty or were the victim of circumstances beyond their control, these lonely individuals wander far and wide, grimly seeking some place to call home where they will not be reminded of their shame. Never truly comfortable among their own kind again, the Oathless often spend their whole lives seeking either redemption or revenge, depending on their own outlook on their transgression. Titan Racial Traits +2 Strength, +2 Wisdom, -2 Dexterity: Titans are powerfully built and strong-willed, but are not made for nimbleness and agility. Medium Size: Titans are Medium creatures and have no bonuses or penalties due to their size. Normal Speed: Titans have a base speed of 30 feet. Powerfully Built: Titans are treated as being of Large size for purposes of some combat maneuvers, and gain a +1 bonus to CMD to resist being tripped, grappled or bull-rushed. They are also treated as being of Large size when determining whether they can Overrun or be Overrun by a creature. Titan’s Grip: Titans may wield weapons one size larger than themselves without penalty. Thus, a titan may wield a Large one handed or light weapon in one hand without penalty and may use Large two-handed weapons. Implacable Stride: Titans gain a +2 bonus to Acrobatics checks to move across slightly and severely obstructed terrain, and to move at full speed across uneven surfaces made of stone or earth. Languages: Titans begin play speaking Common. Titans with high intelligence scores may choose from the following bonus languages: Dwarven, Giant, Goblin, Gnome, Terran.